Adoration and Responsibility
by SheDevil2050
Summary: Four years after the comet came and the gang parted Katara shows up at the Fire Nation palace, with no intention of explaining why she has come, and why she is not with Aang. Kataang/Zutara
1. Chapter 1

Why hello people! I know it has been a while, and I am truely sorry, but with the finale and everything, I just got sidetracked. I came up with this idea, shortly after the finale. I know, I know, Kataang won out in the end, but I decided to change 'destiny's' future. I am really excited about this one. And before any phsyco Kataangers are like "You lose, stop trying to reserect Zutara.", just know now that I am not going for world domination with this one. Just stick around, you will see!

* * *

The Fire Lord awoke to the sounds of scuffle. He threw the covers off of him and took of down the hall toward the noise.

Zuko skidded to a halt in the main hall of the palace, just as one of his guards flew toward him. He stepped to the side and the guard fell down the hall in the direction of which he had just come.

Zuko stepped forward, arms raised, ready for battle.

In the middle of all the commotion was a warrior dressed completely in black. Zuko motioned his guards back, and stepped into the sparring ring.

The intruder, turned to face him and put a hand on their hip.

They dove into battle. Whoever the intruder was new Zuko's moves well; they stepped out of the way at just the right time, and attacked with a certain preciseness that was quiet accurate to Zuko's fighting style.

After a fist fight, Zuko knew it was time to end this. He summoned a fireball and shot it at the intruder. They dodged it with ease, and Zuko turned up the heat.

When Zuko got close enough, he distracted the person with a fireball toward the gut, and then he dropped down and kicked their feet out from under them.

The warrior hit the ground with a hard thud and though Zuko shoved an angry fist of fire into their face, they made no attempt to protect themselves.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my palace?" Zuko spat angrily.

The warrior scoffed. "What? You mean you don't recognize me, Zuzu?" A female voice answered.

The flames in Zuko's fist burned white hot. "Azula." She was the only person who had ever referred to Zuko by that awful nickname.

Azula began to move her hands in a circle around her. Zuko recognized the pose for gathering lightning. He took to steps back and sent the white hot fireball straight at her. She rolled backward, out of the way.

"Nope." Her voice was taunting.

Before Zuko could react, the woman had thrown her hands forward. Zuko expected to get a chest full of lighting, so he positioned himself quickly to redirect it.

Zuko gasped in surprise as, instead of lightning, he was hit full on with freezing cold water.

The water blasted him backward into the wall before he fell to the floor.

He looked up slowly as the warrior pulled the black fabric from around her face, and let it fall around her shoulders. She reached back and flipped her hair with one hand while the other went back to her hip as she grinned at Zuko.

Zuko could all but gasp at what he was looking at. A very grown up, very beautiful version of Katara was standing in front of him. Her body was lean and muscular, and she had grown at least a foot since the last time he had seen her. She now had hips and breasts. Her lips were full and her chin had pointed out. One of the only things that hadn't changed was her eyes; though they where more grown up looking, they were still the same cerulean and held the same stubbornness they had four years ago. Zuko continued to gape as he wondered why the fact that in reality, Katara was a _woman_, had never hit him until this moment.

Zuko glanced around him at the guards slowly moving toward Katara with their weapons raised. He was about to warn her when they all ran in at her at the same time; she was going to get skewered.

Zuko was about yell to Katara when she furrowed her brow and raised one hand. She waved it around in a circle, and then shot it straight up. Every guard in the room dropped their weapons, and became stiff as boards.

Katara breathed deeply and then took a wide step. One of her hands went in a slow circle around her, while the other one slowly came down.

Zuko watched as each one of the board stiff guards where brought lightly to the floor in a wave fashion.

Katara came back to a casual position except for the one hand that kept the guards pinned to the ground.

She grinned at Zuko and then let her eyes wonder over his men.

"Uh…" Zuko stuttered. "Stand down…?"

Katara glanced at him and then did the exact reverse of the last movement she had done, pulling all of his guards simultaneously into the standing position. When they were completely erect she let them go. Most of them swayed, while a few of them fell. Katara moved to help them, but they jumped up quickly before she could use another ounce of bending on them.

Katara's attention then turned to Zuko. Rather than use blood bending on him, she walked over and offered her hand. He took it, and she pulled him up, without even trying. Once he was up, she gathered the water from his pajamas and hair and then swirled it around her, before splitting it in two and leading it into her open dual water skin, on her back.

"Katara," Zuko bowed placing one hand above the other, now a fist, for a traditional fire nation bow. "It's so good to see you."

When he had bent back up, he noticed Katara's eyebrow was raised. He stood the rest of the way just in time for throw her arms around him in a strong embrace.

"It's been too long." Katara said as she slid from Zuko's still stiff form. She grinned and then glanced to see all of the guards she had single handedly taken down staring at her and Zuko. She blushed.

Zuko noticed the blush and followed where her gaze had been. He cleared his throat. "You are dismissed."

Zuko's men reluctantly retreated to the corners and hallways from which then had come. Once they were gone, Zuko continued the conversation.

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you since the comet." Zuko motioned for Katara to follow him. They started toward the kitchen just in case Katara was hungry.

"I've been O.K., you know considering the circumstances." Katara said nonchalantly. Zuko could sense something behind her words. He caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.

Katara chuckled. "Do you always think into things so much? I only meant the fact that after the war was over my friends all went their separate ways. It felt weird at first; Sokka and Suki going to Kyoshi Island, and then to the South Pole, Toph going back home, and you staying here. It was lonely."

"Yeah I guess it has been a little different." Zuko agreed. "When I finally assumed role as Fire Lord, I had so many things to do. It was like when I had first hunted for Aang, but it lacked adventure. There was all the hard work minus an obnoxious bald kid blowing air, a young but talented waterbender, and her dimwitted brother to complicate things. I almost miss the little goof ball."

Zuko saw Katara wince slightly. He was immediately sorry he had mentioned her brother, she must miss him dearly. She recovered quickly as if nothing had happened.

"So that's all that you've been up to? Work?" She snorted.

"Well, yes. I have many responsibilities as Fire Lord." Zuko was a bit miffed.

"So when's the last time you had any fun? Katara asked sheepishly. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko.

Zuko huffed and began to count on his fingers. Katara's face fell before Zuko grinned. She laughed and shoved him before taking off down the hall.

She got to the kitchen before he did, and was already rummaging through the cabinets and cupboards by the time he showed up. He leaned against the door frame and watched her climb on the counter to view onto the taller shelves in the tall cabinet.

Zuko began to walk toward Katara as she accidentally elbowed a porcelain pot off of the top shelve. Zuko dove and caught it right before it hit the floor.

"Good catch." Katara mumbled through the cloth bag in her mouth as she leaned down and reached out for Zuko to hand her the pot. He gingerly passed it to her, and she returned it to the shelf before jumping down to join him on the floor.

"Are you trying to wake the entire palace?" Zuko said as he watched Katara struggle with the bag's strings.

"Sorry. I wouldn't want to wake _her highness_."

"Who?" Zuko asked, puzzled.

She sat next to him and took a cookie from the bag and plopped it in her mouth. She offered the bag to Zuko. He reached in and removed a cookie and put it in his mouth.

"Mai." Katara said after she swallowed. "Didn't she move in after the war was over?"

Zuko took another cookie but hesitated. He wasn't really in the mood for answering any questions about Mai, and so he wanted his tone to be clear when he said his next words.

"We're not together anymore."

Katara glanced at Zuko and understanding the tone of his voice, and the distant pained look in his eyes, she said nothing.

They sat there for some time, the only sound being the chewing of the still crunchy cookies.

"So how has Aang been?" Zuko questioned lightly, trying to break the silence.

Katara finished chewing as if she hadn't heard Zuko say anything at all. She then reached deep into the bag and fished out the final cookie. She held it in front of her face, and her eyes, looking past the cookie, narrowed as they focused on something Zuko could not see.

"Kata—?" Zuko began.

Katara snapped out of the gaze, and glanced at Zuko, eyes once again full of mischief.

"Last cookie." She said holding it dauntingly in front of him.

"As it would seem." Zuko said, still bewildered about Katara's trance.

"I'll dual you for it." Katara said playfully, grinning at Zuko.

Zuko didn't move. "We could split it."

Zuko watched as anger flared in Katara's eyes. She struggled to keep her patience.

"Well? Do you want it or not?"

"Katara—" Zuko began.

"You can't have it both ways O.K.? You can either have the cookie or not. So pick!"

Zuko was a bit taken aback. "Alright, alright, I don't want it."

Katara stood and then glared at Zuko. She shoved the cookie back in the bag and threw it in Zuko's lap. "Why not?"

Zuko was about to say something when Katara walked toward the door, and out into the hallway. Zuko listen to her footsteps until they stopped. When they picked up again, they were coming toward him. She reappeared in the doorway, with a bed roll, and some other bags. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

Katara smiled, and then stretched and yawned. "I'm going to bed. I'll just stay in the same room I did after the comet, O.K.?"

Zuko, with a look of confusion still plastered across his face, nodded, and listened to her footsteps, now heavier and uneven from the baggage, retreat down the hall. He heard her open the door to her suite and then shut it quietly.

Zuko sat a few more minutes in the kitchen, pondering Katara's actions.

Why had she failed to answer the question about Aang? As far as Zuko had heard, they had been living a good life, traveling as was accustom to Nomads, wherever the wind could take them. When he had mentioned her brother and the Avatar earlier, had the word of her brother upset her? Or, had she really been hurt by the mentioning of who Zuko thought was the love of her life? Was something wrong with Aang? What was Katara not telling him?

Zuko pulled himself up and walked the length of the hall toward his room. When he walked past Katara's room, he heard the shower running. He thought nothing of it, and continued down the hall, reaching his room in no less than twenty steps.

Zuko closed his door behind him and climbed into bed. He sighed deeply.

Katara was not telling him something. Her visit alone had been a surprise, especially so late at night. Now, she had eluded two conversations about her best friend and current love and apparently she was staying.

Zuko flipped onto his side and vowed to get more out of her tomorrow. Katara was his friend, and so was Aang. Zuko believed he had a right to know what was going on, no matter what it was.

* * *

After Katara said goodnight to Zuko, she made her way down the hall to her old room. She pushed the door open and was happy to find the room had been well kept and stocked. The bed had clean sheets and there were towels hanging in the bathroom.

Katara dropped her bags, to fatigued to unpack.

She fell onto the bed with her hands on her temples. She had to be more careful about what she did. She had attacked Zuko, though he had done nothing. She shook her head. _Why did Aang have to be so stupid?_ Katara thought irately.

Katara could feel the tears coming. She couldn't let Zuko hear her crying. If he did, he would suspect something, though she had already given more than enough ground for suspicion.

Katara slid out of bed and tread lightly into the bathroom. She turned on the hot water. She slipped out of her clothes and into the steaming stream. She used the available soap to wash her hair and body, but she could feel the water slowly washing away her toughest layers. Finally she broke down completely and found the ground.

She sat for a couple of minutes and had a good cry. After she had let it all out she turned off the water and dried herself off. She climbed into a pair of pajamas, and then got into bed.

She lay for hours without sleep. She did not sleep until the sun rose. Her last thought before sleep finally took her was of how Aang would be waking soon to find her gone, having slipped away in the night, without a trace or trail of where she had gone.

* * *

So what do you think? You gonna stick around? Chill? Well O.K. I need sleep now, if I am ever planning on graduating college. GOOD NIGHT!

SheDevil


	2. Nightmare

Hey everybody, sorry this took so long. I actually wrote the dream the same day as the first chapter got posted, but I needed to ponder the direction of the plot. So without further adue (or however you spell is) here beith the next chapter.

* * *

Katara had a horrible nightmare that night.

_She was in a dark field, and though she could not see anybody, she could feel that she was not alone. A light flickered to life at one end of the field, instantly casting a disturbing shadow onto a familiar face._

_Katara recognized the man to be Zhao, the Fire Nation Admiral who had caused Yue's death. Without a second thought, she stepped forward to avenge the death of her brother's first love, water skin in hand. She did not care about how, only that she would have vengeance. A part of her wondered if this rashness was always who she was, or if it was a new feature to her personality. But before she her feet could propel her another inch forward, the fire form Zhao's hands flew around her in a gigantic circle, illuminating the faces of more warriors of the Fire Nation._

_The men stood shoulder to shoulder looking ominously in front of them. From the fire that now formed a ring around her, Katara could dimly see five wooden poles, each with a tress of rope coiled under them. The four were farther back than the rest, in a less important fashion._

_The circle parted where Zhao was standing and two men drug a small figure to the front pole. They held him against it and the coil of rope, acting on its own accord and more like a snake, took the person's limp body and tightened around it until it rested with its back against the pole._

_Katara watched the person, noticing likenesses in the body shape. She was about to walk forward to examine the familiar person when four more bodies where brought through the gap, before it was closed._

_Katara's eyes widened in horror as she watched her brother, Suki, Toph, and Zuko, all heavily bruised, hauled to the four remaining poles and tied up in the same fashion as the lone figure at the front had been._

_The four people at the back began to twitch, become conscious. Katara breathed a heavy sigh of relief and pulled her water skin forward._

_Katara could rush to help the four, but she was still curious as to the identity of the fifth and she hesitated. She stepped slowly forward and made for the character at front. She glanced around cautiously at the firebenders, concerned as to whether or not they would attack if she continued. They were as still as boards, but she was not fooled; she knew they could, and would be deadly if need be._

_As she came to stand in front of the person she stopped. Something felt wrong… out of place to her. She shook herself and reached forward to touch the person._

_As her fingertips made contact with the person, a gust of wind hit Katara in the side and sent her flying sideways._

_She rolled a few times before catching herself. She struggled for the breath that had been knocked out of her when the draft had hit her. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and glanced back at the person._

_She gasped and a fresh wave of terror shook through her, sending a shiver down her spine._

_Aang, currently in the Avatar state with his glowing eyes and arrows, was the one tied to the font pole. All four elements swirled around him, and Katara watched in amazement as her own look of horror slowly became mirrored on the faces of the fire benders that were now beginning to fade away, along with the ropes that held her friends._

_Katara smiled proudly as the guards continued to turn to dust and blow away in the wind. She watched her friends heal and begin to support themselves with their newly found strength._

_She gazed at Aang and she was so full of delight at his power, and how it had, as always, kept everybody safe._

_He was still staring straight forward when she whispered his name._

_"Aang…"_

_As soon as she said it, Aang's head snapped back and the Avatar state was lost. The elements once rotating around him flew off in different directions as the ropes became alive again and twisted angry around him._

_Katara looked back to see the same things happening to her friends. She didn't understand what was happening. When Aang had entered the Avatar State, the army had faded and they had been safe. She didn't understand how all of this peace had so quickly fallen into destruction._

_"Aang?" This time it was a question, but no matter what the context, his name was all it took. He glanced her way as the Fire Army doubled, in half the time it had taken them to disappear, and this time bringing every ally Aang had ever made._

_Although his friends were being thrown to the ground viciously, kicked and shoved into submission, he smiled tiredly at her._

_She stood, still pained and tried to walk toward him however a strong grip held her in place. Whether or not she was actually being touched she did not know; she only knew that she was no longer mobile._

_She screamed and kicked and fought to try and get away, or at least those were her intentions. She could only stand and watch as the firebenders set fire to the four poles of which her friends had been tired._

_Tears fell from her eyes and as she finally began to scream, she watched as the fire power, as if fueled by her futile attempts to fix things, brightened and turned white hot._

_She could hear the screams of her friends, her allies, and her brother, and all she could do was stand there._

_She turned to the thing that was holding her in place._

_A purple version of Aang whose arrows glowed bright had been keeping her put. She had recognized the entity from Aang's descriptions; he was Aang's Avatar Spirit. He did not have the playful demeanor that Aang had; there was a selfish scowl on his face._

_She tried to shove him, but she only feel through him as if he were nothing. She screamed at him. "Let me go! I have to help them!"_

_He stayed in the same place. Her friend's screams became more intense. She glanced back to see that Aang had now been lit like the rest of them. She tried with all her might to break free but he wouldn't budge. She tried a different approach._

_She fell to her knees and placed her hands together and began to plead. "Please, you have to save him." The tears ran more fiercely now._

_The spirit's expression did not change, but it spoke. "I can't."_

_It was the ominous voice of many that had made the oath as Aang had sided with the ocean spirit and saved the North Pole. It sent a tremble through Katara._

_"Why not?" Katara asked though she already knew the answer._

_The spirit sighed. "He has chosen you."_

_With those words it disappeared. Katara realized she was free. She stood and took off at a run toward her friends._

_Katara skid to a halt and heaved dryly as her gaze ran over the ashes that had once been her family._

_She broke down into violent sobs, now all alone, and doomed to be so for what she new would be forever._

_All of the sudden she was being shaken violently. This was a new aspect to the dream that she had not experienced before. Perhaps she had gotten far enough away to change the course of the future?_

She opened her eyes to a very worried Zuko. When she was fully aware of where she was, she realized she was wet with tears. She looked down to find her hands clenching the sheets with a white knuckle grip. She slowly let the sheets go, and pain rushed up her arm and made her wince. After examining herself she looked at Zuko. He still had his hands on her shoulders, and he was watching her to see if she would sink back into wherever she had been. When she blinked the tears down her cheeks and moved to wipe them away with her sore hand, Zuko lightly caught her wrist.

He examined her closely, and then sighed in relief when her eyes studied his face and he was sure she was truly there. "Are you O.K.?" His voice was full of concern. "You were screaming and your eyes were open, but you were asleep. And no matter how hard I tried…" He trailed off as he remembered how she withered as if she had been tied down.

Katara sniffed and nodded, wondering how she must look. She glanced out the window to find it the middle of the day.

She pulled her wrist out of Zuko's hand and propped herself up. He tried to help her, but she pushed him away, and pulled her knees into her chest.

"Katara, talk to me." Zuko sat on the edge of her bed, and leaned close to her when she still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Katara please. If something's wrong I might be able to he—"

Katara mumbled something incoherent wiping more tears away.

"What?" Zuko leaned in even closer to try and hear her.

"I said there's nothing wrong!" Katara shouted. Zuko's eyes widened at the volume of Katara's voice. Katara remembered her internal conflict earlier that morning. "It was j-just a nightmare." Zuko's face still held worry. Katara smiled, annoyed at how much he cared.

Katara put a hand on Zuko's shoulder in assurance of her well being. She allowed the final tears to fall from her already red eyes.

She pulled away, but not as far as she had been. Zuko cleared his throat.

"What was it about? The nightmare, I mean."

For about two seconds, Katara seriously considered telling Zuko of her troubles; with Aang, with life, with love. But as previously stated, these thoughts only stuck for a very minute amount of time, and by the time they were gone she had already constructed the perfect lie.

"My mother." Any person who has ever cried before knows that once you have started your mind begins to wander onto other things that have gotten you upset in the past, thus causing you to continue the tears without pause.

"Oh." Zuko said quietly. He surprised Katara by pulling her into a hug. Although the hug was meant to comfort her thoughts of her mother, she used it to comfort the thoughts of Aang, and gave into it willingly and allowed a few more tears to leak into the folds of Zuko's clothing.

Zuko did not rub or pat Katara's back. Instead, he just pulled her in tighter.

"I know, I know. It's hard. Don't worry though. Everything will be alright."

Katara, forgetting that he was talking about her mother, rather than her current situation with Aang, questioned this.

"How? How can it possibly be alright?"

Zuko, still thinking about Katara's mother, did not have an answer to her question. Instead he told her what he had to do to help him with his mother, who his agents had failed to find in all these years.

"You just have to let her go."

Katara's eyes widened. _Could he possibly know?_ She was glad that her face was tucked into Zuko's shoulder so he could not see her expression.

Zuko felt Katara tense in his arms. "I know it sounds harsh, but you will feel better."

Katara sighed in doubt. It didn't escape Zuko's notice. "I'm sure your mother, wherever she is, would rather see you content with the present and excited about the future, than miserable with the past.

Katara pulled away and straightened herself up, tired of being vulnerable. She glanced at Zuko, who was watching to see if she was alright. She attempted a smile.

"I'll try."

Hey sat in an awkward silence before Zuko spoke.

"I was thinking about going into town tonight. Would you like to accompany me?"

Katara thought about it. Indeed it would be best for her to get some fresh air.

"I'd love to."

Zuko smiled and nodded before rising from the bed and starting for the door.

It suddenly struck Katara that Zuko was the Fire Lord, and must be quiet famous among his people.

"Hey, Zuko?"

Zuko stopped and looked back.

"Yeah?"

"Your Fire Lord… wont people recognize you and follow you and such?"

Zuko chuckled and Katara raised an eyebrow. He turned his back to her, hiding his excited expression.

"Don't worry about it."

And then he was gone.

Katara sat by herself for a while, and then got undressed for a shower. When she was finished, she came into her room to find a note atop some black fabric.

The note was from Zuko. It said, 'For town, after dinner, under your window. –Zuko'

Katara picked up the soft fabric and noticed it had two parts. One was a robe of black, with a hood and a mouth cover, much like what she was wearing when she came. The other was a deep blue material that had been sewn into pants.

Katara remembered when she and Zuko had gone to find her mother's killer. This outfit was much the same.

Katara realized the reason for Zuko's laughter earlier.

He was unconcerned with being recognized because wherever they were going, they were going undercover.

* * *

Uh yeah, so I hope you liked it. I am annoyed with the dream sequence because I think it gave a little to much away... but OH WELL!

SheDevil


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